Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects approximately 24 million people in the United States and leads to over 800,000 hospitalizations each year. In people with COPD who have hypoxemia, clinical trials have shown that using supplemental oxygen can benefit quality of life, activity tolerance, and longevity. The benefits of supplemental oxygen have been shown to increase with the hours of use per day, leading to fewer hospitalizations and improved quality of life for those who use oxygen for at least 15 hours per day. Unfortunately, despite evidence indicating improved quality of life and decreased healthcare utilization associated with adherence to supplemental oxygen, rates of adherence are typically below 50%. While non adherence to any therapy is multifactorial, supplemental oxygen use can prove especially difficult due to cumbersome equipment, lack of proper instruction for use, and stigma associated with use.

During this podcast, we discuss the current evidence for supplemental oxygen use, documentation of the oxygen prescription, safety, and the patient perspective of using supplemental oxygen, as well as how clinicians can help promote adherence in their patients.

Long term domiciliary oxygen therapy in chronic hypoxic cor pulmonale complicating chronic bronchitis and emphysema: Report of the Medical Research Council Working Party. The Lancet. 1981; 1(8222):681-6.

The American Thoracic Society improves global health by advancing research, patient care, and public health in pulmonary disease, critical illness, and sleep disorders. Founded in 1905 to combat TB, the ATS has grown to tackle asthma, COPD, lung cancer, sepsis, acute respiratory distress, and sleep apnea, among other diseases.

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